A Sunday Morning Rain

A Shikara in a lake in Kashmir.
Courtesy: BOMBMAN on Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0

He suddenly wakes up at 3:45 AM after a 'once in a while' timely sleep, following a dream sequence probably echoing some scene from the early mornings of hostel life. Soon he is enjoying a not much anticipated rainfall, while reading, browsing, munching; waiting for hands of clock to spread apart vertically.

At 6 he takes to the street to go for his morning walk. Sky is perfect azure, winds blow mild, figs cover the drenched asphalt, yellow and green alike. Sun efforts hard to break through the rebelling wet cotton puffs scattered through the sky. Pink-purple Bougainvilleas shudder to the breeze, while water drips down the asbestos roofs across the yellow walls of a secluded primary school and Moneyplant clings to the shoots of an overgrown shurb. A gunny bag flies down the 4th floor house. In the garden, green carpet entices the eyes as a young ladette wiggles hips; circling the track, pacing ahead of a large crowd of wailing elderlies and lame fat con mans carrying their own weights!

All the while he is eyeing beauties, trying their hands on steerings of some hatchbacks with a red-tape 'L' pasted across pretty sizeable portion of the windsheild, he is still not able to get off his mind some lines he came across in a Facebook note, about Kashmir encounters, earlier. Here goes a part of it -

"...Kids carry death in their school bags

Evening brings news, always

A white shroud, blood smeared

Like the blood of a slaughtered lamb

On the virgin snow

And a school bag

Inside, a report card

Teacher’s remarks:

This kid has a bright future

....

....

....

Kam gul-badan, metzchi andar ...

What tulips! One with earth, six feet under ...

Desolate mothers sipping heart attacks

In their pink tea

Fathers breathing cancer in their tobacco

Trying in vain

To accelerate the time..."

You may be able to access the complete text, by Mehran Qureshi, at the following link - Kashmir Is Taken!

Back home the guy tries to form an opinion and have an insight into things of higher order. What makes Maoists rise against the state? Why do people rebel at a G20 meet in Toronto? Why does China faces conflicts despite spectacular growth rates? What makes Thailand come to street?...

Anyways he is normal soon, digging Earth of a potted plant and asking it if it needs cold water, even after rain it is contnuing summer in New Delhi. Would a mud-pack heal its cuts or beautify it? Looking at Facebook responses, he is happy to have got 6 likes for his status and is looking for a mild afternoon nap post a Star Wars clip, since fantasy can be fascinating...

Some of you may like this - "Audioslave - Be Yourself".

Cha(n)t

Bird on the branch.
Courtesy : Rob on Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0

There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy. - Mark Twain

A fantastic chat with a stranger! (I have many.) Like to talk, learn, discuss...

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

Stranger: hi

You: hi

Stranger: Have you been in love?

You: y?

Stranger: just like that

You: don't know actually

Stranger: dont know?

Stranger: how old are you

You: 21

You: u?

Stranger: 26

Stranger: where are you from?

You: cool

You: india

Stranger: me too

You: m/f?

Stranger: whats ur name?

Stranger: m

You: manik

Stranger: you?

You: m

Stranger: okay

You: actually i don't like taking abt love

Stranger: why?

You: it's like every 6 months one can fall for different girl

You: just his wish

Stranger: well

You: biologically designed like that

Stranger: i guess thats not true of everyone

You: thats what m saying

You: one can choose to stay loyal

You: or one can simply choose to slip away

You: be loyal = love

You: strange

Stranger: if what you are saying is really true or many people, then there wouldnt be so many people who are depressed because they lost their love. they could easily find someone else.

You: they are actually trying to defend themselves

You: by being depressed

You: it's like they liked someone who didn't care for them

You: and they are depressed coz they are like lost

Stranger: im not only talking abt someone who dint care, maybe someone cared, but they died

Stranger: ofcourse you could be 'attracted' many people because its biologically designed that way, but loves way more thatn that

You: hmmm

You: died is a diff case

You: thats sad

You: m not denying existence of love

You: but it is rare

You: very rare

Stranger: well maybe

You: in general i feel people exaggrate

You: may be i do

You: :O

Stranger: haha

Stranger: yeah maybe

You: so for a guy like me

You: it is more of learnng

Stranger: but i guess love needs exaggeration, whats love without exaggeration!

You: learning

You: it's kind of telling urself that you like some1

You: again and again

You: and then u hate yourself when you find yourself lone

You: :O

You: crazy thing

Stranger: hmm yeah i guess

You: but then u r determined to do better things with new zeal

Stranger: yeah

You: as if u r doing it as a revenge

You: lolz

Stranger: haha

You: to show them that u can do without them

You: and they lost a great thing

You: haha

Stranger: but its perhaps better to have ups and downs and extremes, rather than have nothing

You: yeah

You: when u get some thing easily

You: u miss a lot more

You: and u do not get to try

You: compare

You: check out

You: evaluate

You: haha

You: m going to save this chat

Stranger: haha

Stranger: why?

You: will put it on my blog

You: show off

Stranger: nice!

Stranger: it was interesting for sure

You: http://sign9.blogspot.com

You: will put it here

You: check if it interests you

You: :D

You: in which city are you?.

Stranger: sure

Stranger: Bangalore

You: oh kool

Stranger: you can check my blog too blog.**************.com

You: my friend is visiting bangalore for training

You: nice

You: will check it

Stranger: ok

You: u do web designing?

Stranger: not designing

Stranger: why?

You: i do

You: :)

Stranger: thats nice

You: and ur blog layout looks professional

You: and domain name told that you have a site

Stranger: thats the standard layout of nucleus

Stranger: yes

Stranger: i do

You: and i got it

You: :)

Stranger: got what?

You: that site

You: what is nucleus?

Stranger: the blogging engine

Stranger: which ive installed on my site

You: ohk

You: tell me about some places to have fun at

You: in bangalore

Stranger: depends on what Fun means to you

You: we are young

You: so fun means anything and everything

Stranger: haha

You: culture art

You: rides

You: everything

You: bars pubs

Stranger: where do you live?

You: delhi

Stranger: okay

Stranger: you can find pubs and bars in Delhi as well so i guess thats not much use

You: well actually i don't visit them

Stranger: haha

Stranger: ok

Stranger: neither do I

You: k

You: but it's like

You: my friend and i were sitting in a restaurant

You: and he told me

You: that first time is best time to do anything

You: and i agree

You: so when in bangalore he would like to do everything

You: that's why

Stranger: yeah

Stranger: right

Stranger: thats true

You: Life is like software, one bit turned, one small thing missing or one broken link, and it can go horribly wrong. But even when nothing seems to work, you can, with perseverance, make it work and make it beautiful.

You: very true

You: just what i said

Stranger: haha

Stranger: yeah

You: but in a different way

Stranger: yeah

You: Trying to make my life interesting....Or is it already?

You: and this is 100% genuine question

Stranger: are you asking me that question?

You: nopes

You: it is very personal

Stranger: yeah

Stranger: maybe

You: today i started gardening again

Stranger: again

Stranger: ?

You: yup

You: in hostel i can't maintain plants

You: but in my home I can

Stranger: yeah

Stranger: thats good

Stranger: gardening is nice

You: yup

You: just mom has trouble

You: cleaning

Stranger: haha

Stranger: yeah

You: but when i will be in hostel

You: she will have to takwe care of the plants

You: she doesn't get a choice

You: even on mother's day

You: lol

Stranger: haha

Stranger: yes

You: u work in what kind of company?

Stranger: i work at amazon

You: awesome

You: today i met a honda emplyee

You: and amazon guy

You: and an australian navy officer

You: great day

Stranger: haha

Stranger: thats good!

You: they all are lucky

You: that am so free

Stranger: haha

You: anyways one thing

You: do help me if amazon doesn't pay me

You: :)

Stranger: haha

Stranger: sure

You: m just too scared after seeing your profile

Stranger: why?

You: have to work a lot

Stranger: haha

Stranger: whats scary?

You: so many big names

You: and qualifications

Stranger: haha

You: how much time it took to get them all?

Stranger: what do you mean by how much time?

Stranger: do you mean how much work?

You: mean so many associations and work

Stranger: I think i havent worked too hard

Stranger: but i have always done what is necessary, no shortcuts, thats all

You: u mean smart work

You: good

Stranger: smart work yes

Stranger: but more than doing what is necessary

Stranger: even the small tihngs

You: but tell me one thing

You: do you believe in enterpreneurship?

Stranger: yeah

Stranger: ofcourse

Stranger: im trying to start something of my own

Stranger: lets see how it goes

You: yeah

You: thats great

You: full freedom

You: :)

Stranger: yeah

You: wish you the best

Stranger: thanks

Stranger: Wish you the best too!

Stranger: in whatever you do

You: thanks

You: yup

You: i will revolt

Stranger: against?

You: against many simple people

You: like my teachers

You: :D

Stranger: India needs people who revolt

Stranger: in the right way

You: they are good and knowledgeable

You: but they don't know how to teach

Stranger: yeah

You: doesn't affect me

You: but revolt is kind of fun

Stranger: yeah

You: and must do some good

Stranger: yes

Stranger: India needs change

You: happy doing my bit

Stranger: yeah

You: k time to leave

Stranger: ok enjoy!

You: have fun and enjoy

You: :)

You: bye

Stranger: Have a goo dlife

You have disconnected.

Check Mate

A rather distinct and beautiful Chess set.
Courtesy: Martin Lopatka on Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0

The most imaginative people are the most credulous, for them everything is possible.       - Alexander Chase

Eight by eight board of blacks and whites. Sixteen pawns, twelve face members, two queens, two kings and two players contemplating moves to win the game - necessarily making brilliant moves as well as excellent mistakes.

Some questions though. Why shall not pawns try to become king? Why can't they define their own destinies? Why player acts God, isn't it monopoly of a sort? Further if the game has to be so uncertain, why can't there be a third influential force, which can be manipulated by two main players through treachery, bribery, emotions, affection and all those add-on tactics? It might be the case that this third party overtakes and blows the lid off both the major parties! This way a plain game be more interesting or probably more straining and intriguing.

Fundamentally the element of uncertainity drives fun, more essentially it focusses you and gets you freedom from thoughts and that is 'entertainment'. Right?

But I feel eight by eight is a small field, if the game has to be strategy, and third party influences will surely add to the taste. Just suggestions for may be a newer 'Chess extended'!

As I complete this post I realise that their exist strategy games like 'Age Of Empires' which give some of these options, but a board game can also be devised. Sad I never played 'Monopoly' like that.